The dark, dirty secret of the college football yearbook industry is that much of the reporting and writing has to be done before the conclusion of the spring practice season.

So, let’s say in the summertime you notice that we suddenly have a different (oh, just to pull an example out of a hat) preseason all-Big 12 first-team quarterback. (OK, that wasn’t pulled out of a hat. More in a bit.) It won’t necessarily be because we’re rotten, stinking hypocrites.

Ohio State's Braxton Miller could get the nod in the Big Ten over the QB of a certain rival up north. (AP Photo)

Why bring this up now? Because—believe it or not—we’re already in the early stages of compiling preseason all-conference teams for 2013. And that means we’ve got some pretty big questions on our radar.

They’re fun questions. In some cases—like with the reigning Heisman Trophy winner—they’re fascinating, even. And every media outlet that previews the upcoming season will be confronted by them sooner or later.

Here are four (all having to do with quarterbacks) we’re already batting around:

Manziel shattered the SEC single-season yardage record, beat McCarron and that wicked Alabama defense in Tuscaloosa and, of course, became the first freshman winner of the Heisman. Basically, he’s Superman.

But McCarron is something better: a three-time national champion (twice as a starter) with a great shot to make it four. He’s smart, accurate, a leader, and have you seen his girlf … no, that’s irrelevant. His quarterback play alone—how about that 2012 ratio of 30 touchdown passes to three interceptions?—shines brilliantly even amidst the double-live-gonzo phenomenon that is Johnny Football.

Which is not to say we’re going with McCarron, just that we’re thinking about it.

But even in these three cases, the answer has to be tied, at least in large part, to team success. Will we pick the Buckeyes to win the Big Ten, or will we go with a Legends Division team? Michigan’s Devin Gardner—you saw how well he played vs. South Carolina—could outduel Miller in Ann Arbor and again in the league title game. Nebraska’s Taylor Martinez might be in line for giant stats and a level of team success that has eluded him to this point.

That’s one fleshed-out example. Boyd, like Miller, has a clear-cut case for preseason honors, but we’ve got to make up our minds if this is the season when Miami explodes to the top of the ACC—and just imagine how Stephen Morris’ name will blow up if that’s the case. Bridgewater? Come on, nobody’s not going with him in the Big East. (Although, Cincinnati’s Brendon Kay has the ability—and the team—to give Teddy B. a run for his money once the season starts.)

3. What to do with Oregon’s dynamic duo—De’Anthony Thomas and Marcus Mariota?

Some would call them the two best players in the Pac-12. Thomas is a name you might expect to find on every first team at running back, but why? Arizona’s Ka’Deem Carey should have one spot locked down after leading the nation in rushing in 2012. What about Washington’s Bishop Sankey? He rushed for 1,439 yards and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore—guy’s a stud. Oregon State’s Storm Woods is ready to really bust out, too.

Tough call on Thomas; perhaps tougher on Mariota because of one guy, UCLA’s Brett Hundley. We’ll wrestle with this one for a while.

4. Who the heck should be the preseason first-teamer in the Big 12?

If you’re looking at this right now—which, obviously, we are—then there’s so much you just don’t know. Like who’ll be the starter at Oklahoma State (Clint Chelf? J.W. Walsh? Wes Lunt?); if we knew that, we might feel as though we have our guy. Also: Will Casey Pachall, back in the mix at TCU following a stint in a drug-and-alcohol rehab center, win his starting job back? If so, he has the talent and the team to merit deep consideration.

If we had to pull a first-team name from this shallow pool today, it might have to be Texas’ David Ash. With Landry Jones, Geno Smith, Seth Doege, Nick Florence and—oh, yeah—Collin Klein all gone, what else would you do?